IT Project Management is the process of planning, organizing, motivating and controlling resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals. Projects are temporary one-time endeavors designed to produce a unique product, service or result with a defined beginning and end usually time-constrained and often constrained by funding and/or deliverables.
Projects are undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value to the company/organization. The temporary nature of projects stands in contrast with business as usual (or operations), which are systematic, repetitive, permanent, or semi-permanent work activities to produce products or services. In practice, the management of these two systems is often quite different and requires unique technical skills and the development of management strategies surrounding a project.
The primary challenge of IT Project Management is to achieve all of the project goals and objectives while honoring the preconceived constraints. The primary constraints are scope, time, quality and budget. The secondary and more ambitious challenge is to optimize the allocation of necessary inputs and integrate them to meet pre-defined objectives.
Not using a standard approach is the biggest mistake a business can make on an IT project. It makes it possible for a company/organization to measure the success of its projects and to determine which processes and methodologies are working and which ones need improvement. Program investment and execution economics drive client demand for delivery efficiency and quality delivarables.